This invention relates to documents management in general, and in particular to an improved documents management technique using remote document location and retrieval.
In medical records, legal and business offices, and some homes, file storage cabinets are typically used to store documents used for medical, legal, other business and personal purposes. A typical file storage cabinet has several pull-out drawers each containing a relatively large number of file folders, with each folder containing one or more documents. In order to enable the documents contained in the various file folders to be readily accessed, some type of documents management system is necessary.
Documents management is typically performed by file folder management. Each document is initially assigned to, and placed in, an identified file folder dedicated to documents of a particular subject matter (e.g., “utility bills for a specific account”). Later generated related documents are typically assigned to and placed in this same file folder.
File folder management is typically conducted by providing each file folder with a tab portion visible when the file drawer is opened (usually along the upper edge of the folder) and containing readable information describing the content of the file folder. The readable information is typically a short form of identification, such as an account name, a subject name (e.g., “Bank Statements”) or the like.
In order to provide ready access to the individual documents contained in the file folders, some type of indexing arrangement is normally used to identify the file cabinet drawer location of each file folder. A simple technique commonly employed is an alphabetical index card placed on the front panel of each drawer in a file cabinet listing the file folders in alphabetical order. For example, one file drawer panel might have an index card listing file folders starting with the letters A-F, another drawer might have an index card listing file folders starting with the letters G-L, etc. Frequently, more sophisticated indexing arrangements are used, such as a computer-based index listing all file folders by a short form identifier and a corresponding enlarged and more thorough description of the file folder contents. Even such computer-based arrangements still require the use of a readable tab or tag on each file folder in order to identify a given file folder to a user. This is highly undesirable, since it facilitates the search by any unauthorized user for a specific file folder name or for a file folder containing information of a particular type. Nevertheless, known file folder management systems require the use of visible tabs or tags in order for the files to be reasonably locatable.
In those applications in which several individuals have access to the file drawer contents of some or all of the file cabinets, some arrangement is usually made to monitor the disposition of the file folders. For example, in a business application, it is convenient and sometimes necessary to provide a sign out and return procedure so that the whereabouts of a given file folder will always be known. Usually, such monitoring attempts fail to accurately track the file folders because of the failure of individuals to faithfully follow the procedure. Consequently, at any given time, the integrity of the file management system can only be verified by actually looking through each file drawer and checking the file folders and their contents with the master index. This requirement is both time-consuming and burdensome, and thus a severe disadvantage.
In known file management systems of the type described above, once a file folder is provided with a contents identifier, that file folder is permanently associated with the nature of its contents. To change the contents to some other category, the file folder must either be thrown away and a new, unmarked file folder substituted in its place, or the identification label must be changed. In addition, the master index must be up-dated, either manually or by using the computer in a computer-based indexing system. These procedures are not always followed by office personnel, and the integrity of the file system is consequently compromised.
In all examples of known file management systems, the file folders are usually provided with some type of human readable or machine readable identification indicia, such as a label or tag affixed to the upper margin of each file folder. In more sophisticated systems, a computer is used to assist in keeping track of the objects. When a file folder is removed from the usual location, some procedure is typically used to note the fact that that file folder has been removed from its normal location. This is accomplished either by operator entry of the change into the system computer, or by using tag or label reading devices (e.g., bar code readers) to enter the information into the system computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,875 issued Nov. 2, 1999 for “Collective Objects Management System Using R.F. Object Identification”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an example of a file folder management system which eliminates the disadvantages noted above with previously known file folder management systems. In addition, the file folder management system disclosed in the '875 U.S. patent provides a simple and efficient way to find a desired file folder stored somewhere in a large collection of different file folders. The system disclosed in the '875 U.S. patent uses R.F. sensitive circuits to maintain control of all file folders in a collection. Each file folder has an associated R.F. sensitive circuit which resonates at a unique frequency when an R.F. signal at that unique frequency is received by the circuit, and an indicator coupled to the R.F. circuit for identifying the file folder to a human operator. The indicator is preferably a visible indicator—such as an LED—coupled to the file folder in a convenient location which can readily be seen by a human operator when a file drawer is opened. Alternatively, an audible indicator—such as a buzzer—can be used.
More specifically, the folder circuit included in each file folder to be placed in a file drawer has a crystal responsive to a particular R.F. frequency, with the resonant frequency of a given crystal different from all the other crystals. Each file folder circuit is electrically coupled to a drawer signal input/output using the electrically conductive upper support rails usually found in conventional file cabinets. One of the rails is modified by electrically isolating that rail from the remaining electrically conductive elements in the drawer. Each drawer is provided with an indicator, preferably a flashing LED visible indicator, mounted on the front panel of the drawer. A current detector circuit is used to control the state of the drawer panel indicator.
All drawer input/output terminals are electrically coupled in parallel to an associated host computer, either using dedicated connectors (i.e., hard wired) or transceivers (i.e., wireless communication). The host computer includes an R.F. signal generator capable of generating signals matching all the crystal frequencies. To find a file folder, a user specifies that file folder to the computer, typically by using a keyboard or a mouse. The computer causes the R.F. signal generator to generate an R.F. signal whose frequency matches that of the crystal in the specified file folder. The R.F. signal is transmitted to all the file cabinets in the system, and thus to all the file drawers. If the specified file folder is located in any one of the drawers, the indicator on the front panel of the drawer containing that file folder, and the indicator of the correct file folder, are both activated. The user then opens the drawer with the active panel indicator and removes the file folder with the active file folder indicator. The file management system disclosed in the '875 U.S. patent eliminates the need for readable tabs or tags on each file folder, since the correct file folder is designated by the activated indicator. Also, the nature of a file folder can be changed by simply entering the necessary information into the computer. In addition, the integrity of the entire file system can be checked by using an R.F. sweep frequency generator to sweep the entire frequency range of crystal frequencies and detecting any frequency for which a resonant response is absent. The system can be readily and conveniently incorporated into existing file cabinets having the electrically conductive dual rail folder support mechanism.
Commonly assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/586,5521, filed 09/24/2009 for “Collective Objects Management System With Object Identification Using Multiple Crystals” discloses an improvement over the '875 technique in which the file folder circuits are provided with two or more crystals and each file cabinet includes an R.F. generator. In this improved technique, a file folder is specified by generating an R.F. signal having a number of frequency components equal to the number of crystals in the file folder circuit.
Commonly assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/802,645, filed Jun. 12, 2010 for “Collective Objects Management System With Object Identification Using Addressable Decoder Units” discloses another example of a file folder management system which eliminates the disadvantages noted above with previously known file management systems. In addition, like the '875 system, the file management system disclosed in the '645 U.S. patent application provides a simple and efficient way to find an individual file folder stored somewhere in a large collection of different file folders. The system disclosed in the '645 U.S. patent application uses addressable decoder units to maintain control of all file folders in a collection. Each file folder has an associated addressable decoder unit with a unique address in the file folder management system which responds to the receipt of that unique address from a source. The source is a local encoder in the file cabinet containing the addressed file, which generates the unique address in response to the receipt of a file folder identification signal from a remote host computer. Each file folder also has an indicator coupled to the decoder unit for identifying the file to a human operator. The indicator is preferably a visible indicator—such as an LED—coupled to the file folder in a convenient location which can readily be seen by a human operator when a file drawer is opened. Alternatively, an audible indicator—such as a buzzer—can be used.
Each file drawer has a plurality of mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths, at least one of which can receive address signals supplied by the source and specifying a sought file folder. The file folders positioned in the file drawers each has a plurality of electrically conductive members, each of which is electrically coupled to a different one of the plurality of mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths, an address decoder circuit carried by the file folder in the drawer, the address decoder circuit having a unique system address, the address decoder circuit further having a plurality of electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with the plurality of electrically conductive members, and an indicator, such as a visible indicator (e.g., an LED) coupled to the address decoder circuit for activation whenever the address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive members and representative of the unique system address of that file folder.
Each file cabinet includes an encoder for generating the address signals, the encoder having at least one input terminal for receiving file folder identification signals from a host computer, at least one output terminal coupled to each address decoder circuit of the plurality of file folders, and circuitry for generating a signal representative of the unique system address of the file folder specified by the file folder identification signals from the host computer.
Each file folder has a pair of support braces, with one of the support braces containing the plurality of electrically conductive members. The address decoder circuit and the indicator of each of the file folders are carried by one of the two support braces of each file folder.
The file folder drawer has a front panel with an additional indicator mounted thereon; and the system further includes circuitry for operating the additional indicator whenever an address decoder circuit located in the file folder drawer detects an address signal present on the at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive members and representative of the unique system address of that address decoder.
Each address decoder circuit includes circuitry for generating a VALID signal whenever that address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on the at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive members and representative of the unique system address of that address decoder circuit.
A microcomputer located in the file cabinet supplies power signals to the plurality of file folders via some of the electrically conductive paths, and address signals via the at least one of the electrically conductive paths; and receives VALID signals generated by each address decoder circuit when an incoming address matches a given address decoder circuit system address. The microcomputer also includes circuitry for generating information signals identifying the location in the system of any address decoder circuit which generates a VALID signal. These information signals are transmitted back to the host computer for the purpose of file folder management.
While both of the two techniques for file folder management described above are extremely effective in providing a remote file folder location capability, and remote file folder management, neither provides any capability for remote document location or retrieval. It can frequently occur that a document originally specified to the document management system as being located in a particular file folder is absent from that particular file folder and, in some cases, absent from the entire system, usually due to human error. With known document management systems, this error only becomes known after a human operator—after having been directed to a particular file drawer of a particular cabinet—opens the drawer with the illuminated visible indicator, extracts the file folder with the illuminated visible indicator, inspects the contents of the extracted file folder, and discovers that the specific document sought is missing from the file folder. In such a case, not only has the human operator wasted time in going to the file cabinet; but also it can be most difficult and time consuming to locate the missing document. Other than conducting a physical search of all the file drawer file folders, the system accessibility logs, and personal interviews with all persons suspected of having contact with the missing document, there is no practical way of finding the missing document.